Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in jtavan's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, October 25th, 2009
7:27 am	TN: Assorted cheap crap Heinrich 2005 Burgenland Blaufränkisch (1 week opened, sealed) – Sour plums and gym shoes. Eew. – All of the below from Trader Joe’s – La Caumette NV Red Table Wine “L’Authentique” - Berries and volatility up the nose. Thinnish body, tart, a bit harsh, but all in all just plain cheap table wine. Worth what it cost, but no more. Buy more? No. ($4) La Granja 360 2008 Cariñena Tempranillo – I’ve had a lot of cheap Tempranillo. It all tastes like this. Sour cherries, light to medium body, and that’s about it. Buy more? No. ($4) Trader Joe’s 2006 Reserve Cabernet, California – Baaad nose of alcohol. Viscous, cough-syrupy fruit and caramel up front, and alfalfa underneath. Unpleasant, but I suspect people like it. Not a chance I’d buy more. ($10) Ruggero di Tasso 2007 Sicilia Nero d’Avola “Archeo” – Smells a bit like L’Authentique, above, but tastes better. Next to no tannin plus plenty of fruit, very plush and soft in the mouth. Decent acidity keeps it from being hugely heavy. I don’t know that I could drink a glass or two of this, but it’s fine to sip. Has a twist of bitterness to keep your attention. ($4) Lacheteau 2008 Vouvray – Almonds and quince aromas. This is going to be quite off dry – yup, it is. Initial blast of fruit and acid is far more intense than expected, but it fades a bit fast. This has the Chenin Blanc acid to balance out some of the RS, but not quite enough of it. Faint cheesy notes on the finish. The bottle says it’s good with spicy food (I agree), but all we have on hand is some horseradish – which, served on water crackers, actually works quite well with the wine, masking the RS and letting the apple flavors shine. Well worth the price – I might actually buy some of this. ($6) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009
9:15 pm	RR: Flatbread Company, Paia, HI This funky, New Age pizza joint is apparently a small chain from the Northeast, with one location on Maui. Wood-fired clay oven, beautifully-implemented pizzas with fresh, local ingredients and excellent, chewy/crisped crust. Excellent bits of char and puffy exterior. This is what pizza should be. I wish we had ONE place of this caliber in the south SF Bay Area. We don’t. Pizza 1: The Coevolution: Kalamata olives, rosemary, red onions, roasted peppers, goat cheese, mozzarella, garlic, cheese, herbs. Superb. Pizza 2 (one half): Daily special – chicken parmesan. Not terribly successful. Kind of bland chicken. Pizza 2 (other half): Daily special – rosemary cream sauce, sliced red potatoes, roasted garlic cloves, herbs, fresh basil. Unbelievably good. The Coevolution Two Daily Specials Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
11:40 am	Recipe: Hummus Even though it’s extremely easy and quick to make, many people still buy commercial hummus. I don’t understand this, and can only assume that it’s due to their not having a recipe on hand. Here it is. Stop paying $5 for a tiny tub of hummus. Hummus bi Tahini 4 slices onion 2-4 cloves garlic 2 cans chickpeas (or equivalent volume rehydrated, cooked dry chickpeas), drained juice of 1 medium lemon 2-4 Tbs sesame tahini 1/2 c. olive oil dash cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce 1/2tsp cumin salt and pepper to taste Mince onion and garlic in food processor. Add chickpeas and puree. Add remaining ingredients, pouring in the oil while processing the hummus until it reaches the desired texture. Serve with fresh pita, hot sauce, assorted pickles, and fresh vegetables. Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
8:22 pm	Grange Tiphaine 2007 “Grenouillères” Pure Chenin demi-sec. Bracing, intense acidity and loads of fruit and a hint of RS to balance it. Turns ever so slightly heavy at the end, but this is delightful. The 2006 was classified as a Montlouis, I think. What happened in ‘07? ($8, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Friday, July 24th, 2009
9:58 pm	TN: Grange Tiphaine 2007 Montlouis Blanc “Clef de Sol” Pleasantly tart, with that leesy character that I so love in some Loire whites. The fruit is a bit subdued, and there’s a nice steely side to it all. No objections, particularly at the price. ($8, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Saturday, July 18th, 2009
11:34 pm	Recipe: The Monkshood Cocktail Just a little something I whipped up tonight, enjoyed, and then realized that this particular combination of ingredients doesn’t show up in CocktailDB, my usual reference. It’s not nearly as toxic as aconite/monkshood/wolfsbane, but it seemed a decent name for something that relies heavily on Benedictine… The Monkshood Cocktail 1.5oz brandy .75oz lemon juice .5oz Benedictine .5oz dry vermouth dash Angostura bitters dash real grenadine Combine ingredients, shake over ice, double strain into a cocktail glass. Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
7:32 pm	TN: Durin 2006 Riviera Ligure di Ponente Pigato 13% ABV indicated. Liquid silken rocks with a splash of lemon. A somewhat larger splash would be better. ($cheap, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Sunday, May 24th, 2009
10:02 am	Recipe: Beans and Rice With Avocado Salad By request, one of my favorite dishes. Beans and Rice With Avocado Salad 10oz dried yellow (Mayacoba/Canary) beans, soaked in water 6 hours to overnight 2 rice cups (360ml) Jasmine (white or brown) or Thai Red Cargo rice 2-4 avocados (depending on size) 2 large shallots 2 medium-sized ripe tomatoes 1oz fresh squeezed lime juice 1tbs chili flakes, fine top-quality aromatic Extra Virgin Olive Oil salt and pepper Bring soaked beans to a boil in a pot of water, then reduce heat and simmer slowly, covered, until tender (several hours). 10 minutes before finished, add salt to taste (it takes a few minutes for the beans to absorb the salt). Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid, and set aside. In an electric rice cooker, cook rice with some salt and the bean cooking liquid. A few minutes before the rice cycle completes, add the cooked beans to the rice and stir well. While the rice cooks, prepare the salad. Slice avocadoes in half, removing the pit. Score with crosshatches and scoop into a bowl. Dice tomatoes and mince shallots very fine and add to the bowl along with lime juice, salt, pepper, and chili flake. Add a good splash of the aromatic olive oil and stir well, trying not to completely mash the avocado cubes. Serve the cold salad atop a bowl of the hot rice and beans so that the heat from the rice brings out the aroma of the oil. Top with additional olive oil if desired. Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
9:45 pm	TN: Chermette - Domaine du Vissoux 2005 Beaujolais 12% ABV indicated. This is a little bit of happiness in a glass. It’s got fruit. It’s got rocks. It’s got juicy tartness. It’s absolutely adorable, and all of $13/bottle. Delicious, food-friendly red wine without attitude. Sadly, no longer available. ($13, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
10:45 pm	TN: Laroche/Domaine aux Moines 1994 Savennières-Roche aux Moines The ghost of an apple haunts this dry, dessicated husk of a wine, its shrill, acidic shrieking almost completely masking the rustle of autumn leaves. ($17, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
9:47 pm	TN: Clos Roche Blanche 2007 Pineau d’Aunis “L’Arpent” Delicious, but not as extraordinary as the 2006. It lacks the etherial beauty, showing a slightly more masculine profile. Still, it’s great stuff. ($17?, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
9:11 pm	TN: Burrell School 2005 Cabernet Franc Pichon Vineyard (Santa Cruz Mtns) (14.5% ABV indicated) Brilliant ruby wine, redolent of oak and spice, bearing not the slightest resemblance to Cab Franc. Good fruit, but generic. (~$40 direct) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Saturday, January 10th, 2009
9:54 pm	TN: Elio Altare 2006 Dolcetto d’Alba Floral nose, dense blueberry and blackberry packed into a context of rich tannin. It avoids being syrupy by the narrowest margin - a hedonist’s wine that even fruit-haters like me can enjoy. Delicious. A Larry, but a good one. (Beltramo’s, $20?) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Monday, December 22nd, 2008
12:35 am	TN: Poderi San Lazzaro 2005 Rosso Piceno Superiore “Podere 72″ 13.5% ABV indicated. 50% Montepulciano, 50% Sangiovese, aged 9 months in new and used French oak barrels. This has that rustic, prickly, volatile acidity and leathery (bretty?) scent that we find in a lot of lesser-known Italian reds. The wine is not significantly harmed by the new oak, only showing a little sweetness and a little smoke in the finish. Finishes a little sticky. Decent table wine, not worth spending much money on it. Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
9:59 pm	TN: Philippe Tessier 2007 Cheverny Rouge Lots of fruit, an unusual dark maroon spice tint, and a good bit of juicyness. What does it taste like? Hard to say - I wouldn’t necessarily have guessed it as a gamay/pinot noir blend in a blind tasting, but maybe I would have. Unusual, pleasant, refreshing. Larry. ($14, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
11:09 am	TN: Moët 1999 Dom Pérignon Maybe it’s just the mild head cold and stuffiness I’m experiencing, but this is severely underwhelming. A bit rubbery both to smell and taste, and the biscuity/doughy note doesn’t really compensate for the almost astringent, thin character. Still, we took posession of the new house, and needed to celebrate that along with Repeal Day. Good memories despite underwhelming, expensive fizzy wine. ($119, Costco) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
11:05 am	TN: Bert Simon 1996 Serrig Würzberg Riesling Spätlese 8.5% ABV indicated. At first it seemed a bit age-faded, with the fruit sort of oxidized and slightly sticky from the residual sugar. Just starting to get that oily aged-Riesling note. Nothing particularly impressive. It was a lot better after a couple days corked and a couple accidental freeze/thaw cycles, strangely enough, with increased zip and zing and interest. Still a Larry, but a much more enjoyable one. ($18, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Sunday, November 16th, 2008
6:32 pm	TN: Hétszölö 2006 Tokaji Furmint Sec (Hungary) Dried herbs and fall apples and layers of rock and acid. This is absolutely delicious - astonishingly so. I haven’t had many dry wines from Tokaj, but I’m going to need to do some more study of them. Curly. ($10, K&L) Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
12:08 am	TN: Marc Olivier Domaine de la Pépière 2005 Vin de Pays du Jardin de la France “Cépage CôtR Pure Malbec fruit in a balanced and clean format. A little small-scale, which is something of a relief after the volatile fruit bombs of Argentina. Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008
3:41 pm	RR: Da Kitchen and Local Boy Snack Shop, Kihei Da Kitchen: Monstrously large plates of local food done very right. Good kalbi, great fried mahi. Dis place broke da mouf! Local Boy Snack Shop: apparently one of the relatively few places for real shave ice on Maui. It is indeed very good, with azuki beans, sweet cream, and li hing mui powder for topping. Really delicious, but avoid the awful tourist trap garbage mall that surrounds it - dire stuff. Originally published at Jeremy's Tasting Notes &c.. Please leave any comments there.