Up the Mekong

Well, it certainly has been a while! In light of that fact that just won't go away, the Watchful Wino is back. My prolonged absence can be explained by my recent efforts to track the Refined Redneck down using several methods that the man himself taught me, but it seems he cannot be outfoxed.

A picture for your enjoyment:

After tearing apart my memory banks to bring you remembrances of another blogworthy culinary experience, it seems that I have located just the one. We have to go back a long way for this one, 2001, June of that year I believe. This one is wicked, and bear in mind that all this seemed completely normal at the time...

So There I Was. Siagon, Vietnam at the aforementioned time, with a buddy of mine from my master's program at the London School of Economics and Political Science. We had decided to check out Asia during our break rather than heading back to the States.

That was a wild trip. We started out flying Air Qatar from London to Bangkok, via Doha, Qatar. To celebrate the fact that Air Qatar turned out not to be a dry airline, as we had expected for logical reasons, we ended up having a few and getting a bit tanked during the London-Doha leg of the flight. We spoke to one another in obnoxious German in order to avoid giving Americans a worse reputation than they already had at the time...that reputation was enhanced when my buddy ended up catching some Z's face-down on the floor of the Doha airport. Got a great pic of that, but not for this venue :-)

After spending some time in Ko Samui, Thailand (the highlight of which was a bungee-catapult that I did - interstellar experience), we made our way to Vietnam. We had a certain apprehension going there, which was based on the assumption that they would not like Americans too much. Something about a fairly large war we had participated in there in the not-too-distant past.

Well, it turns out we were wrong. They were very friendly. We therefore decided to see if we could arrange to do a one-night home stay with a Vietnamese family somewhere out in the sticks. And it was much easier to arrange than you might expect. A simple trip into the local travel agency, a few inquiries, and then a place and time to meet. We showed up at the appointed location at the appointed time, and sure enough, there was our transportation.

We proceeded by van outside of Saigon for about an hour or so, maybe more, where we transferred to a rickshaw. Our host was waiting for us on the rickshaw, complete with a growler of locally made beer that we promptly started to quaff. After trucking around on the rickshaw for a while, we came to a boat landing.

And then it hit us. The place we were going was not accessible by road. Well...it seemed to make sense, being that we were in the Mekong Delta by now. So without a moment's hesitation, me and my two LSE compadres hopped on the boat along with our host, and we proceeded up the river for about 45 minutes - one hour or so.

Then we pulled up to his place. Riverfront property. It had no plumbing, but it did seem to have electricity. And our host's family turned out to be really nice. They had a kid who was learning English who was eager to converse with us.

And then they rolled out the dinner. It must have been their annual best, prepared only for important holidays. We consumed what we could of it, along with some rice, all washed down by that locally made, completely fresh beer. And then we watched some Hong-Kong based TV with them for a couple of hours before turning in to sleep on some elevated, hardwood tables decked with bamboo mats. What a great time that was!

Then the local propaganda boat came cruising by with the Vietnamese government's version of the day's news (a US Navy plane had just made an emergency landing at a Chinese military base; no one in the area was too pleased about that...). After waking up to that news, we boarded our sampan and headed back up the river, into the rising sun. What an amazing sight that was. There We Were, having just had an other-worldly experience, and it became even more so with the sun glimmering off of the Mekong as we proceed back towards Saigon amid an armada of other sampans...I suggest you try it out if you ever get the chance... :-)

More soon.

Loose!

Hello everyone. I'm back again, up early and ready to head to the gym for one of my 4-5 weekly work outs. The Watchful Wino works out? Well, yes, I'm afraid so. I've found through laborious experience that if I am to consume the sacred beverage in the quantities I desire without inflating like a hot-air balloon, the calories have to go somewhere. In short, the old must move on to make room for the new...

I've been patrolling my memory banks to bring my valued readership something interesting to read, perhaps even motivational enough for the bolder among them to try their hands at the same sort of shenanigans. After all, the world of good wine and cuisine can be intimidating to the novice...I was once there myself. My advice to anyone on the fence about trying their hand at learning about wines and the preparation of great food is simply to dive right in. Your first couple of recipes will likely be disastrous, but you'll get the hang of it fairly quickly. As for wine, there are actually quite a few places to go where the staff is expert and eager to help out; people in the industry generally know that the snob factor is not likely to help them move many bottles...

Anyway, So There I Was. Chicago, IL, that is, to celebrate Christmas with my family this past year (2011). It turns out that I've gotten a reputation and was therefore on the hook to prepare the Christmas dinner for everyone. Great. Once again, a chance to shine, or alternatively a chance to fall flat on my face to the sound of my family's guffaws. Sure, they'd find amusement in my failure, as most were half-in-the-bag by the time dinner rolled around anyway.

So, what to do? Well, I'm not the type to shy away from a challenge. I put my helmet on and stepped off. Having acquired the 12 pound turkey from D'Artagnan, as well as chestnuts and fresh mushrooms, I was already in really good shape to prepare something great. Burgundian Turkey was the recipe, and all I needed to get into the zone of preparation was a little of my favorite grape-based product. It just so happens that my family has a tradition of uncorking the bubbly well before noon on Christmas, so that was taken care of, and I could get down to business.

I set about roasting the turkey, braising the chestnuts in milk before roasting them, and preparing my fresh (i.e. not dried), just-off-the-boat mushrooms from France. The kicker was a red-wine gravy using the turkey's own giblet and pan juices, with a bit of creme-fraiche mixed in. Here's a shot of the end result:

As you might imagine, the dinner approached the interstellar. My dad had procured a Hermitage and a Cornas to go with the turkey, chestnuts, and mushrooms. I was literally shocked at how good it was, all from a recipe that I found on www.dartagnan.com.

At the end of the evening, there was a bit of a pickle. We had quite a bit of that oh-so-tasty red-wine/creme-fraiche gravy left over. It would have been a sin to let it go to waste. Someone needed to take one for the team. I'm usually that guy, so I volunteered, and quickly pounded the gravy, straight from the sauce boat. My was that good.

On that note, I'm beginning to hear the hum of the Refined Redneck's latest boomerang message. He's telling me to get my rear-end over to the gym. As he's not one who likes to have his orders disobeyed, I'd better comply. Have a great weekend everyone, and until next time.

Loose!

Hello again everyone. The Watchful Wino is back, up before the sun rises in his part of the world to bring all of you some fresh musings to have along with your morning joe. Apparently I did not have enough of my favorite grape-based product last night, which is why I'm up early...Got to work on that...

Actually, I was woken up by the sound of a courier pigeon landing on the couch where I happened to be sprawled for the evening. It was carrying a note from the Refined Redneck, explaining his recent absence. The note simply alerted me to await a long distance, Crocodile Dundee-esque boomerang message, which just came in. Apparently, RR is out tracking varmints to serve up at our next shin-dig, but he sends his regards. He can't wait to write his first post. The dude does have a lot of nature and cuisine-related material to get off of his chest...

Anyway, I was thinking about what I should talk about. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a seriously good dinner with friends over the weekend. I forgot to mention the wines that accompanied the meal. Upon realizing this, I was aghast at the oversight, and moved to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. So here they are:

• 2004 Fontaine-Gagnard Volnay Premier Cru
• 2009 Mauro Molino Nebbiolo

Both get a five furs rating, as far as RR and I are concerned, though a word of caution. Neither is a wine that goes without good food, so if you just try them au naturel, as it were, you will likely not like them. But with food, they clear the stratosphere, I assure you.

The recollection brought memories of another grape-related experience rushing back, and I thought that I'd tell you about it. So There I Was.

Dallas Fort-Worth International Airport that is. I was getting off the plane on the first day of my 2 weeks of environmental leave from my deployment to Iraq, and I had to negotiate a gauntlet of enthusiastic, cheering Americans and Veterans who were there to greet us. If you were one of those people, you can only guess at how good it made us feel to see you there, so thanks.

Fast forward a few days, and my Dad and I put on our helmets and headed to the local wine shop. We had some serious eating to do. I naturally gravitated to the section of the shop in which bottles were kept under lock and key. And there they were. A 1986 Chateau Margaux, and a 1986 Chateau Lafite, each just over 18 years old. The perfect age for such wine, according to at least some opinions.

We somehow convinced the proprietor to part with them and headed to the nearest Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I was there with my Dad and two of his closest friends, one of whom is a Vietnam War Air Force Special Operations veteran...it was very cool to have all 3 of them there. The Air Force vet is actually not doing so hot now, and he's a real mensch, so I wanted to give him a big shout out here. I'm sure that Charlie's life was made quite a bit more difficult due to his efforts. Mr. P, we're all pulling for you...

But I digress. I ordered a rib-eye, cooked to a crawling-off-your-plate temperature. At which point we paid the corking fee and cracked open the two premier cru Bordeaux. And having them was like an out-of-body experience. The boldness, combined with the suppleness and subtlety brought about by the land, expert wine-making that is the product of hundreds of years of experience, and 18 years of care after birth made those wines mind-blowing, to say the least. My own preference was for the Margaux, but others at the table preferred the Lafite. Either way, it's hard to go wrong with those. So if you are looking for a transcendental experience and have a few bucks laying around, I'd suggest either one of those Chateaux.

Alas, the night came to an end, and only the memories remained. Except the corks from those two bottles, which went into my fleece pocket and back to Iraq with me, where they stayed until the legendary 1st Cavalry Division's first deployment there drew to a close. Every now and then, I'd reach into that pocket and rub those two corks together. And for a moment, everything was good. And as Willem Dafoe says in Platoon, "Feeling Good is Good Enough...".

Until next time.

Loose!

So, I'm back. The Watchful Wino, that is. We're still waiting on the Refined Redneck, but as I mentioned earlier, you can't rush greatness. I'm sure we'll see great stuff from him. RR - if I could suggest something, you might write about your relatively recent deer hunt. There were some surplus deer that you put to sleep, permanently, if I'm not mistaken. I'm more than sure that the readership would love to hear all about it. On a personal note, I ate and successfully digested said deer, and it was tasty...

I promised to let you all know about my recent dinner party (Saturday, 04 February, 2012). So here it is.

Some bros of mine from my Active Duty Army days, as well as their wonderful (seriously) spouses, decided to get together for dinner. The distinction here is that it was a dinner that I largely was to prepare. Whoaahh... such responsibility! Either the famishedness/disgust of some of my closest friends, or a resounding success followed by accolades and laurels upon which I can rest (but I won't). Well, I like accolades, at least for my WW prepared meals, so I decided the potential ROI of the risk outweighed the downside and dove right in.

Boeuf Bourgignon was the recipe. Julia Child's Boeuf Bourgignon, with my own twist (and Julie Powell, no, I'm not copying you...to do so would require cooking every recipe within that book within 365 days...and I'm only into meat...not pastries or aspics...so your legacy is safe...as if a Hollywood feature was not already enough to secure that like Fort Knox...) What is the twist? 

For me to know and you to find out. I'll tell you what. Write me or post a very obsequious comment, and I'll get back to you. Don't think my twist made much of a difference? Think again. It sent the results of the recipe from the above average to the interstellar. Seriously, no BS, it was like having an out-of-body-experience to savor that. I'm sure my compadres will agree. Chime in with comments if you agree or disagree. And no court jesters please; I know who my compadres are and their Google IDs. So take it from a fellow smarta**, keep it to yourself if it is not constructive, otherwise, I promise you, it will be very actively ignored...

Anyway, So There I Was, at my bro's palace. We polished off the Boeuf Bourgignon, and that turned out to be only an amuse bouche. We were all still famished. What to do?

I'll tell you what. A Tarte Tatin is what. Better yet...a Tarte Tatin accompanied by a dessert wine from a few galaxies over...or...uh...maybe one from South Africa. They do know how to make a good dessert wine there... Anyway, the little guy himself, Napoleon, used to order what we had by the case. Yeah. Napoleon. I'm not joking. I'd tell you what it was, but I don't want the market price to spike too dramatically, so do a little research, and you'll figure it out. Me? I copped out and asked my resident wine expert what I should have. Who is said expert? Well, I wouldn't dare divulge anyone's identity without their permission. You know who you are, so if you want to get plugged on the superhighway, let me know, and it's done.

So after the delicious Tarte Tatin, that RR himself brought over (I told you he was refined, after all...), we decided that not enough alcohol had been consumed, by a stretch. Again, what to do? Well, it just so happened that I had a liter of Grand Marnier handy. It's the type of thing I usually carry in my back pocket... :-)

A few of us had it anyway, and the evening progressed from there. Like it had rocket propulsion...Too bad it was not nuclear propulsion, because the closing hour rolled around, and we had to call it a night. So until next time, when the main course will be Navarin Printanier. 

RR - why don't you tell us about your recent deer hunt, your success in bagging said deer, as well as the dishes in which said deer ended up? I'm sure the readership would love to hear about it.

For now,

Loose!

Hello Everyone,

And welcome to the first installation of the Watchful Wino and the Refined Redneck: Ruminations on Things Culinary, Libations, and the Act of Sending Furry Creatures from this World to the Next...(and then eating them...).

To clear things up for you, there are two of us who will be contributing to this blog. I am the Watchful Wino, and that name pretty much sums it up in a nutshell. My buddy, the Refined Redneck, will also post regularly. 

That said, neither RR nor I are huge fans of deadlines. We get enough of those at work, and we are of the opinion that they pretty much blow. Creativity, Greatness - these are things that cannot be rushed. What's everyone's big hurry anyway?

About the Watchful Wino

So a little bit about me. I am a self styled gourmand, and I've probably forgotten more about wines than I remember, though I by no means claim to be an expert. Just a well-equipped amateur. I've also developed into a decently wicked cook in recent years, as I like to eat well without paying restaurant prices. Necessity is the mother of all invention, after all.

What else? Well, I like anonymity, so I'm not going to tell everyone too much. But other information that may help you understand where I am coming from includes the fact that I am an Army and Iraq Campaign veteran. Also, I've got a master's degree, earned in a foreign country.

Want to know more? We'll see...but not yet.

I'm going to let the Refined Redneck divulge what he wants to about himself in an upcoming post. Far be it from me to presume to know what he would like to say. He is one creative dude, so I can only guess.

That's all I have for now. I'll be writing about a absolutely interstellar, some would even say transcendental, dinner party that I contributed to this past weekend in my next post.

Until then.

Loose!