Eva's Wine Cellar

Some choice of pâté for you, Eva:

Yeah, spendius derails just about every thread there is....
back to Mediterranean food - Moroccan today, my friends!!

What's that supposed to mean Cal. It was about food and I have stuck to the subject.

I've clued you in to two great books on food.

The Physiology of Taste eh? What a title for materialists. That your tastes are physiological manifestations and not aesthetic as you might have thought. Perfect subject for those scientific biology classes I know you are in favour of.

There you go, CJ, a bowl of Prickly Pears for you.

Joe(oo that stings)Nation

If they don't have pictures of food in it, I am not interested. Spendius, you are all about theory but have no practice - just go with the flow for crying out loud.

Would it not make me splutter Cal?

How should I know....

I think it's time for a good wine: georgeob1, what was the red wine called you like ? Oak something...Old Oak?

Moroccan?! YUM!!!!

But first, I have to sample some of the pate's that Walter brought. I know, I'm mixing cuisines, but I can't help it. Everything looks so good!

Spendius, most of us are drinking wine, but I do have several good beers too, if you'd prefer.

If you have any Coronas 1982 Miguel Torres or Campo Viego Gran Reserva 1975 Rioja I think I'll be able to manage.

<Jacques returns from cellar, dusting off a bottle...>

Well, what do you know! We did have one of those after all! <checks label> Yes, it's a 1982. Let me get you a glass...

I bought a case many years ago on the recommendation of Mr Auberon Waugh, of blessed memory, in the Wine Club section of the Literary Review, which he edited.

I am a member of the Academy Club 6. Maybe 7--I've forgotten. It is a very exclusive club.

The Academy Club is situated in the basement of the building in which the LR had its offices, and the members of the Academy Club 6 (7) consists of those who were blackballed by the old bats who he inherited with the job and never found a way to get rid of.

I couldn't persuade Mr Waugh to tell me the names of the other members. I can speculate that they were the readers of the LR who were most disapproved of by the biddies and termagants heretofore referred to.

The silly fools had cashed all the cheques with the applications before the meeting at which we were refused membership despite the flotation being under-subscribed. That necessitated returning the money with a cheque from their account at Coutt's. Which is the membership card of our exclusive club. I took a photocopy of mine and put the cheque in my bank. Maybe I shouldn't have done.

If you know anybody who is in this club I would be grateful if you could put me in touch with them.

BTW--I have not opened any of the 12 bottles because Mr Waugh said they were an investment. But I've never checked to see if it has paid off. They were £45 in 1987.

That's the first time I have seen the bottle. I never opened the case.

We visited the Torres winery on one of our wine cruises to the Med. It's near Barcelona, and we also visited Freixenet where they have over 1-million bottles of kava stored underground, and they provide a "train" ride to see their storerooms.

That must have been exciting. Elaborate mooching about I call it.

Sounds interesting to me. A million bottles of kava???

I'm hungry for comfort food tonight. And we still have a lot of leftover ingredients for our Mediterranean Feast that weren't used. There aren't many dishes that I know how to make, but this is one of them. I think it will be perfect tonight. Anyone want to join me? I made quite a lot!


Authentic Roman Pasta Carbonara with Pancetta

I had left-over fetuchini with clams for dinner. My wife and I had dinner last night at "By The Bucket." The flavor was about a 7 out of 10.

Oh, that plate of spaghetti Carbonara looks so good, I could eat that for breakfast now...

Well, let's be proper and eat something appropriate for breakfast!
Let's have a Greek breakfast, that's hearty too!

Why would you buy a case of wine in 1987 and never try it? If you don't have it properly stored, it might be vinegar by now. What are you saving it for?

I wondered about that too. Haven't you had any special occasions since 1987, spendius?

And CJ, I have to admit I never knew that was a Greek breakfast. It looks fabulous!...but more my idea of lunch. I don't think my stomach would be quite ready for that first thing in the morning. I'll stick with my Greek yogurt with fresh berries and a little granola mixed in.

Breakfast varies greatly according to where my brain is. Sometimes I can't focus well enough to even grab the Greek yogurt from the fridge. Do I take the blueberry or the black cherry or should I use the plain and add some fresh fruit and nuts? Other times I prepare some oatmeal (need to have milk and fresh apples on hand for that), and at times I am into eggs and an English muffin. If I have something left from the night before, I have been known to nuke it and go with that.

No matter how I go, I begin with the coffee.

(also curious why Spendius would hold a bottle all these years)