Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is really not my favorite holiday. I won't tell you why, or I'll just be inviting more invidious comparisons with Andy Rooney. But this year, I am really looking forward to it. I'm even okay with the part where people who are only in my living room once every two years turn my TV on in the middle of the day and try to teach it how to display football. Why? Because - and you work colleagues will understand this well - I am just totally ready for a day that comprises sitting around drinking tea in the early morning, sitting around drinking Pinot Blanc and eating the odd Nicoise olive around midday, making gravy and Zuni mashed potatoes in the early afternoon, sitting around eating poultry in the mid afternoon, walking in the late afternoon, and circling back to sitting around and drinking tea in the early evening. That is JUST EXACTLY my level of ambition right now.

Fresh Figs Are Here

Saw fresh figs in the market for the first time this season. So, so good. Don't do too much to them. I like them with a little bit of the mildest, freshest mozzarella you can find (like the little balls in water, from Maple Brook Farm), and some cracked pepper. It's easy to overdo the treatment. In my opinion, olive oil, bacon, etc., is too much. Just let them be their sweet selves.

Favorite Kitchen Tool #7

My confidence in the kitchen would be shot without a serious heat-proof quart size fat separator. The other techniques for de-fatting liquids are totally for the birds in my humble opinion. Skimming off with a ladle, skimming off with an equally non-functional special ladle (sheesh), paper towels on the surface, etc. All more or less useless. The only other technique that really works is to chill the liquid first and then peel off the solid layer of lard, but that does you no good when you have just deglazed a big roasting pan and the chicken is sitting on the cutting board. No, you need one of these items.

Summer Wine Bargain

Every summer I look forward to the previous fall's vintage appearing on local store shelves. The kinds of inexpensive, lightweight whites and rosés that are refreshing in warm weather are precisely the ones that I want to drink as young as possible.

The first serious bargain to cross our table this season is a ten dollar Sicilian white made from Cantaratto and Pinot Grigio grapes - the 2010 Purato from Feudo di Santa Treso. I got mine at Rosemont Market. Floral and almond-y above the glass, with a refreshing and crisp palate of yellow fruits, it doesn't get much better than this with a piece of grilled fish and a hunk of bruschetta. I am not always a big fan of southern Italian whites, as the hot climate can sometimes make them dull and overly alcoholic. Fear not; this one is a winner.

The New Breakfast of Champions

Steel-cut oats with fresh Pomegranate and a bit of Demerara sugar. This is not only beautiful, it TASTES beautiful: Hot, sweet, soft, starchy oats punctuated by cold, wet, tart, juicy, crunchy pomegranate.

Red Wine Flavors, White Wine Structure

This wine is a great example of "less is more." It's a 2009 Schiava "Römigberg" from Tenutae Lageder. I first had it at the recommendation of John Naylor at Rosemont Market, after I asked him for something that would be good with (nearly raw) seared tuna. This was his pick, and it was spot on. Since then we've had it twice more and it has never failed to bring smiles to our faces and emptiness to our glasses. I'm an advocate of Alto Adige wines, and even I would probably never have picked this off the shelf on my own (unless it were due to the stunning packaging), so I'm glad I was prodded.


The Alto Adidge is at the very top of the Italian boot, near the Austrian and Swiss borders, and the transparency of this wine seems to evoke the cool and thin alpine air. Structurally, it's more white than red. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) Hardly any tannins are to be found, but good, crisp acidity keeps the lips smacking. Indeed, this is about the very palest "red" wine I've ever seen. That notwithstanding, it's one of the brightest and most brilliant. For all intents and purposes it's a rosé, but what a good rose it is. My photo here does not in any way do it justice. It's very pretty in the glass. The bouquet has strawberry, tea, and licorice notes. On the palate there is intense freshness and delicacy. I wouldn't expect it to keep these qualities for more than another six months or so, so get it now and enjoy. Serve at cellar temperature - in the 50s F.

Less-Is-More Flatfish

This dish represents a lovely combination of easy and delicious, with distinctly French roots. It shows how sophisticated simplicity can be. As with many such dishes, quality of ingredients is key. If your fish and herbs aren't super-fresh, don't bother.

total preparation time, including cooking, 20 minutes
serves 4

ingredients

• about 1 1/4 pounds extremely fresh flatfish fillets, preferably of even thickness. I used some gorgeous turbot from Harbor Fish.
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 medium or large clove garlic, sliced very thin
• about 1/4 cup chopped very fresh herbs. I used a combination of roughly 2 parts Italian parsley, 2 parts chives, and 1 part tarragon.
  
• 2 - 4 Tb unsalted butter, at room temperature
• salt
• freshly ground pepper - white if you have it
  

special equipment

• large non-reactive skillet with lid
• large slotted spatula
• whisk
  

Put your dinner plates in a 175 degree oven to heat. Place the wine and garlic in the skillet and bring to a simmer, covered, over moderate heat. After a few minutes of cooking to blend flavors, place the fish in the skillet in a single layer. Cover and bring back just barely to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Poach for about 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until just opaque. My turbot was 3/4 of an inch thick and was done in 7 minutes.

With the spatula, remove the fillets carefully to the hot plates, leaving the accumulated fish juices and wine behind. Off heat, whisk 2Tb butter and the herbs into the poaching liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more butter if needed. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately with some excellent bread and a green salad.